[G]enes may affect either the way muscles work — perhaps causing them to use energy more efficiently and preventing fatigue — or some higher-order biochemical circuit in the brain, such as levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine or serotonin. Researchers have examined the muscle tissue of the mice in the study, however, and early data, which has not yet been published, suggests there's no difference in their function. So researchers' best guess is that the drive to exercise is at least partly influenced by brain chemicals...

Not to worry. Natural born sluggards can still smoke themselves thin.

[Time]

Tired of a world in which Americans idolize wannabe singers and musicals about high schoolers pass as rock 'n roll music, Dr Pepper is encouraging (ok, begging) Axl Rose to finally release his 17-year-in-the-making belabored masterpiece, Chinese Democracy, in 2008.

Awesome work.

"We're doing an issue devoted to critics and bloggers, and, since you're one of New York's top opinion-makers, we want to include your thoughts. Please answer the questions below and send back to me by Monday, November 26 (or even better, before you run off for the holiday). Your answers can be as long as you'd like, though a graph or two is fine. We're going to compile everyone's answers and present different takes in the magazine."

Sure! Let me just ... jot down my deep-thinky responses to eight questions ranging from "We're at this crossroads, where print and online content are intertwined, and no one's sure how it all falls out. In this environment, what is the essential question facing the future of criticism?" to "What basic pre-requisities should all critics have to meet? And how should a consumer deal with the different (undefined) standards for online critic-bloggers and print critics? How should they know who to trust?" (Shut up, college!) to "How does one make an impact online?" as I'm running to catch the Acela! No problem whatsoever.

"The above questions are very general. Surely, we missed something. Have anything to add? Please do." the email concludes. You know, there does seem to be something missing here.

From Pollack's latest post on Epicurious:

went to the grocery store with my family today and wandered around in the haze of my most recent public identity crisis, dutifully loading the cart with apples, bananas, and whatever else Regina told me to get. My exchanges with Elijah were minimal. I swore that I wouldn't mine this trip for blog material. Enough already.

And then we reached the checkout line. Or at least my body did. My mind was somewhere far away, in a place full of waterfalls and self-pity. I heard Regina's voice echo in my skull.

"Neal," she said.

"Huh?"

"Look what your son is doing."

I turned around. Elijah was sitting in the shopping cart, smelling a pack of bacon, and going "mmmmmmmmm."

"Elijah," I said. "Why are you smelling the bacon?"

"Because it smells so good," he said.

He turned the package over.

"And the back of it smells even better," he said.

"Is he not supposed to be doing that?" I asked Regina.

"Well," she said, "it's a little weird, but I don't see how it's harmful."

So we let him smell the bacon until we had to put it on the conveyor belt. Later, at home, there was ham for dinner, at least for the boy. Regina and I knew that our dinner would be too spicy for him.